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Economy & Business

UAE Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi (L) and Lebanese Economy Minister Amr al-Bisat after signing a memorandum of understanding, Beirut, Aug. 27, 2026.

Lebanon, UAE ink deals, deepen economic ties on Emirati Beirut visit

An Emirati business delegation signed the agreements in Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun, indicating the UAE's interest in deepening economic ties with Lebanon.

cards

Sharaa taps Visa as Syria reconnects to global finance: What to know

Visa and Mastercard announced Wednesday that their networks can now be used to make international card payments in Syria.

gas station in Cairo, Egypt

Eni presses ahead with Egypt gas projects as war raises investment risks

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi on Tuesday, with the Italian energy giant revealing it could make a crucial investment decision in coming months.

Latest News

Syrian Airlines expands Europe comeback with Vienna, Copenhagen flights

A Syrian Air passenger jet lands at Aleppo airport on March 18, 2025, the first aircraft to land after it was shut during the offensive that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad.

China warns US not to interfere with Iran trade: What to know

BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images

Large UAE delegation set to arrive in Lebanon in major investment push

Lebanese Presidency

France, Saudi Arabia announce more than $10B in deals on MBS visit

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shake hands

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Israeli passengers arrive from Ukraine via the border with Romania on an Israeli Israir flight at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, March 1, 2022.

Israel expects post-COVID tourism rebound this summer

Israeli experts do not expect tourism to reach this summer the record level of 2019, but they certainly notice a trend of increase on both outbound and incoming tourism.

Women buy bread from a local bread stand in Al Fustat neighborhood on May 2, 2022, in Cairo, Egypt.

Egypt rejects World Trade Organization agreements on global food crisis

Egypt objected to the WTO agreements to alleviate the global food crisis, as it refuses to be forced to export food when it is grappling with its own food crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov (C) and Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif (R)in Baku on Aug. 8, 2016.

Iran, Russia to establish trade centers

The two countries will focus on energy-related trading and establishing a north-south corridor to rival the Suez Canal.

FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM to build renewable-powered desalination plant

The controversial planned city will partner with a Japanese and a French company in the endeavor.

SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

Crisis-stricken Hamas borrows from local banks

The Hamas movement has been forced to borrow from the local banks to fund the salaries of its 45,000 employees amid low local revenues, costly subsidies and declining Qatari financial grants.

This picture shows an aerial view of farmland near the city of al-Khankah in Qalyoubiyah province in the fertile Nile Delta agricultural region, north of Cairo, Egypt, May 28, 2021.

Egypt puts up for sale land plots for expats wishing to build cemeteries

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Communities in Egypt has put up for sale cemetery lands for Egyptians abroad in four new cities, priced in dollars, as part of the government’s efforts to counter a severe foreign currency shortage.

ASAAD NIAZI/AFP via Getty Images

Iraq connects electrical grid with Saudi Arabia

The move could help Iraq with its electricity woes and reduce energy dependence on Iran.

Turkey economy

Analysis

Turkey ‘highly vulnerable’ to liquidity pinch, says leading credit agency

Turkey, Tunisia and other countries in the Middle East could face liquidity challenges amid rising interest rates worldwide.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on June 15, 2022.

Israel raises interest rates, following Gulf, US

Inflation is rising throughout the Middle East and many countries' central banks are raising interest rates in response.

SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images

UAE bans exports of India-sourced wheat, restricts others

The Ministry of Economy said the decision was motivated by global supply chain disruptions as well as the recent trade agreement between the UAE and India.

Tunisia food

Tunisians watch prices of most consumer goods soar

Tunisians have seen their purchasing power plummet in recent days, amid a market shortage of basic goods, soaring prices of most consumer goods and warnings of possible nationwide protests.

Visitors look at a scale model of the city of Dubai.

Dubai real estate transactions hit 13-year high

The American commercial real estate firm CBRE released a lengthy report on the Emirati city’s real estate market.